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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25657282">Ridemates</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/hermionestranger/pseuds/hermionestranger'>hermionestranger</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bad Flirting, Ficlet, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, M/M, MeetCute, Multi, Roller Coasters, Short &amp; Sweet, Summer, Theme Parks, Vomit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:41:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,555</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25657282</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/hermionestranger/pseuds/hermionestranger</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Lily refuses to ride the roller coasters, so Remus is next to a handsome stranger... who ate too much junk food.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>104</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Ridemates</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is the first work I've shared in a long time, just a fluffy little bit that's more complete than most of my work. If you have any feedback, I'd appreciate it, as I'm trying to get more comfortable putting my self-indulgent romance out there.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Are you sure you won’t try just the one?” Remus gazed into Lily’s eyes entreatingly, but was met by resolution.</p>
<p>“Not a chance. I only got on those swings because they’re at least kind of fun, even if I’m sure they will fall apart any day now. But I have no interest in being rattled around and risking a neck injury on some old wooden deathtrap in the name of thrills.”</p>
<p>“Yet you’ll let your friend ride the deathtrap?” He rolled his eyes at her, taking his place at the back of the short line and handing her his unfinished cherry soda to hold.</p>
<p>“I’m not your mother, Remus, if you want to risk your life that’s your decision. I’m going to get some cotton candy from that stand by the log flume, do you want anything?”</p>
<p>He shook his head and waved goodbye as she walked away, taking a deep breath of that unique Florida summer air, which had the chemical bite of chlorine and the warm greasy comfort of fried food all in one. He focused his attention on the short line ahead. The wooden coasters were sort of antiques--though he’d never admit as much to Lily--which is why they attracted shorter lines than the newer, modern coasters that went higher and faster.</p>
<p>He noticed a sign at the entrance: “Single riders will be paired off.” He eyed the rest of the line a bit anxiously. There were a few people who might be alone, and he surreptitiously examined them even as he reminded himself that it wasn’t like he had to talk to them.</p>
<p>Then, one guy at the front of the line half-turned to wave at someone in the distance and Remus felt his jaw drop like a character in a book. He closed his mouth immediately, feeling foolish.</p>
<p>Lily liked to tease him for preferring books to people, but the truth was, Remus did notice attractive people. It was just rare that someone was attractive enough to overcome the general oddness of checking someone out without knowing them at all. After all, he frequently thought, somebody can be hot and still be a misogynist, or a racist, or a fan of the Big Bang Theory. He had standards, that was all, and it took more than a pretty face to spark his interest.</p>
<p>But damn, did this guy have a pretty face. He was tall, too, at least a few inches taller than Remus’s own 5’11”. His hair was longer, pulled into a bun at the nape of his neck from which several wavy strands escaped messily, clinging to the sweat on his brown skin in the heat. His cheekbones were high, and his eyebrows thick and dramatically arched, over large hazel eyes. He had a long nose and full lips, too, currently pursed in a silly expression at whoever he had been waving to before. Suddenly he quirked his mouth quizzically and then, too quick for Remus to avert his eyes, looked over at Remus. Remus felt himself blush and tried to meet his eyes in a chill way before looking away, as if he’d just been caught glancing in his direction, but he had a feeling that whoever this absolute babe had been looking at had seen him staring.</p>
<p>He hoped that his flushed skin could be attributed to the heat; he was certainly pale enough to be already burning, despite his and Lily’s reapplying religiously every hour. He was suddenly extremely conscious of his own appearance, feeling even more out of sorts in his khaki shorts and bright, floral shirt than he had before. He normally dressed for the extreme AC in the library, in long-sleeved, collared shirts and cardigans. He knew he was skinny, but he thought it worked for him in a sort of academic way in his normal clothes. Now, however, he looked down at his pale, knobby knees above his patterned Chaco sandals and suppressed a groan. He’d let Lily approve his outfit, and he hadn’t exactly been trying to impress anyone, but now he felt especially ridiculous. And his curly hair was definitely frizzing in the humidity.</p>
<p>He chanced another look at the gorgeous guy and started to see him looking back again. He smiled. even, straight teeth practically blinding, winked, and then turned around to face the front of the line. Who actually fucking winks? A voice that sounded frighteningly like Lily responded, Maybe he’s interested, and Remus snorted. Maybe he’s laughing at me, more like. Remus then focused very hard on not looking at his ass, which his bright yellow board shorts clung to mercilessly, but raising his eyes just meant noticing how broad his bronzed shoulders were in his white tank top. Get it together, he chided himself, as a wave of riders exited and the sunburned, pimply young attendant waved the line forward.</p>
<p>“Single riders, raise your hands!” Remus saw the gorgeous stranger’s hand go up out of the corner of his eye and felt a strange twist in his gut, knowing what was going to happen before it did.</p>
<p>“Yeah, okay, you and you, and you and you…” Remus followed the pointing teen and, as expected, ended up next to the stranger.</p>
<p>“So, ready for the ride of your life?” The stranger’s voice was low and suggestive and Remus was torn between laughter and sudden, extreme arousal. Not fair, he thought irritably, thanking all the deities he could think of that the various bars and straps they had to fasten did nothing for him sexually.</p>
<p>He tried to keep his voice dry and indifferent as he responded, “twenty year old roller coasters really do it for you, huh?” He looked down at the clips as he spoke, sure that making eye contact with this man would cause him to blush an obscene amount.</p>
<p>“Well, not always, but there’s something to be said for experience.” This innuendo was so much weaker that Remus felt safe to look at him directly, eyebrow raised.</p>
<p>“Yeah, okay, that one doesn’t work as well. Hi, I’m Sirius.”</p>
<p>“Serious… about roller coasters?”</p>
<p>“Ha! No, my name is Sirius. Like the star.”</p>
<p>Of course.</p>
<p>“Oh, uh, cool name. I’m Remus.”</p>
<p>“Nice to meet you.” The attendant was walking up and down the rows of cars now, checking that everyone was securely seated, and it seemed that their conversation would be cut short, until a small child two rows ahead seized his mother’s sunglasses from her shirt pocket and flung them into the bushes alongside the ride, screaming “I WANNA BE UP FRONT!”</p>
<p>The other riders groaned and the attendant held up his hand to tell the operator to wait, walking into the bushes with the resigned expression of someone used to dealing with children.</p>
<p>“I paid that kid twenty bucks to do that.” Sirius said this in a low voice, conspiratorially, and Remus flushed.</p>
<p>“You did not.”</p>
<p>“Okay, maybe I didn’t. But I would’ve.” Sirius grinned, head tilted.</p>
<p>“Why?” Remus felt increasingly that he was having a conversation which made no sense. Maybe he was dreaming. He’d probably dozed off in the lazy river with Lily. She was throwing popcorn in his lap even now. But of course, she wasn’t.</p>
<p>“To talk to you, obviously.”</p>
<p>“You can’t be serious.” He realized seconds too late what he’d said, and groaned.</p>
<p>Sirius looked delighted.</p>
<p>“But I am! Now you’re getting it!” He smirked.</p>
<p>“Look, I get that you look… like that, but do you hear yourself? The ride of my life? Come on.” Remus spoke without thinking, apparently intent on embarrassing himself, and Sirius’s grin grew even wider.</p>
<p>“Oh! And how exactly do I look?”</p>
<p>“Oh, shut up. You know.” Remus looked away, desperately. Surely that lady had her sunglasses back by now.</p>
<p>“I promise I don’t. I was actually raised without mirrors, it’s a tragic tale, really. My life was one of deprivation, until today, when I was set free to roam this amusement park, bothering cute strangers.”</p>
<p>Remus looked back to see Sirius pulling a sad face and couldn’t help but laugh.</p>
<p>“So, really, what do I look like?” Sirius batted his eyes ridiculously and Remus relented, blushing again.</p>
<p>“Oh please, you know. I’m surprised you’re even allowed on rides alone, doesn’t your partner mind?”</p>
<p>He was fishing now, feeling rather brave, and Lily’s voice in his mind cheered.</p>
<p>Sirius grinned again and shot him a Look that practically smoldered.</p>
<p>“No partner, just my brother James. He normally rides the rides with me but he was defeated by some corn dogs and cotton candy… lucky for me.”</p>
<p>“Good thing you didn’t pig out like him, then.” Remus was flustered again, unable to keep up the flirtatious tone even though he was certain he had never had a clearer green light in his entire life.</p>
<p>“Oh no, I did, I’m just not a wimp. I can hold my junk food.”</p>
<p>Remus started to respond, but the clicking of the car on the tracks interrupted. The woman and her screaming kid had finally been escorted out, apparently. (Remus saw them exiting the ride and heard a snippet of the woman’s voice “now we’re not on the ride at all, that’s what happens-”) They had been replaced by two excited looking teen girls, holding hands. He and Sirius grinned in childlike anticipation as the ride picked up speed.</p>
<p>Remus couldn’t help but think he hadn’t felt quite so fluttery on any of the other rides he’d been on that day.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>____________________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>About ten minutes later, Remus gingerly offered Sirius his arm as they limped away from the ride, ignoring the attendant’s grimace and the glares from the two women who had been in the row behind them.</p>
<p>Sirius’s previously glowing skin was tinged faint green, and his white tank top was covered in vomit that was a frankly alarming shade of red.</p>
<p>Remus was trying not to think about the state of his own clothes, and consequently avoiding looking at them.</p>
<p>“So, your brother’s a real wimp, huh?” He teased lightly, not wanting to be mean.</p>
<p>Sirius frowned in the direction of his flip flops. “Uh, look, I’m really sorry, I thought my stomach could handle it. I mean, last time I was here I ate way more and I was fine!”</p>
<p>He was avoiding eye contact with Remus, who couldn’t help but tease him a little.</p>
<p>“Yeah, and when was that?”</p>
<p>Sirius flushed.</p>
<p>“Uh, I guess we were about… twelve.”</p>
<p>“Yeah. Sounds about right. So, I’m guessing you had a red slurpee, right? No risk of internal bleeding?” Even as he teased, Remus led them to a bench near a cart selling soda, sitting him down and asking the girl working at the cart for paper towels and water. The girl gave him a grossed-out look but obliged.</p>
<p>Remus handed over a wad of paper towels and then looked at his own shirt reluctantly. Sure enough, the floral print was a bit more red than it had been.</p>
<p>“Um, sorry about your shirt.”</p>
<p>He looked back to Sirius and then immediately looked away, seeing that he had given up on his tank top and removed it. Those abs should be illegal.</p>
<p>“It’s alright. I hate this shirt anyway, Lily made me wear it.” He wondered if he should text Lily, but figured she’d probably be okay alone with her cotton candy a bit longer.</p>
<p>“Lily?” Sirius questioned, looking up at him with ridiculous puppy dog eyes. Remus had to stifle a laugh at the ridiculous sight of this gorgeous, shirtless guy with vomit in his hair, looking at him nervously.</p>
<p>“Yeah, my best friend. She doesn’t do roller coasters, I think she was getting cotton candy.”</p>
<p>Sirius grinned up at him, and then refocused on something behind him, suddenly looking anxious. “Oh, uh, heads up, that’s my brother…”</p>
<p>Remus half-turned, only to see a tall, skinny guy with big glasses and messy black hair, pointing at Sirius, nearly bent double with laughter, walking closely beside--</p>
<p>“Lily!”</p>
<p>Lily was holding a large half-eaten cotton candy, looking bemusedly between Remus, a mortified-looking Sirius, and the man Remus assumed must be James, who was still laughing.</p>
<p>He pulled himself together enough to stand up straight, still gasping as he addressed Sirius. “‘I’m fiiiiine James, I can handle my corn dogs, it’s just an old coaster.’ How’d that work out for you, Siri?”</p>
<p>Sirius answered through gritted teeth: “I think you can see that, Jamie. Anyway. This is Remus. I threw up on him so you guys have that in common. And you must be Lily? I’m Sirius. I’d shake your hand but it still has vomit on it.”</p>
<p>Lily was struggling to keep a straight face, but nodded at him. “Hi, nice to meet you…. Remus, good to see you’re making friends. I’ve got wet wipes in my bag if you need any.”</p>
<p>“Oh please, thanks Lil. Hi James, how’d you meet Lily?”</p>
<p>“This lovely lady was next to me in line for cotton candy. Of course I had to talk to her, and we have so much in common! What a charming coincidence that she's your friend.”</p>
<p>Lily rolled her eyes but Remus could tell by the faint pink tinge of her freckled cheeks that she was pleased with the attention.</p>
<p>At least she didn't get puked on.</p>
<p>“So, I think I’m mostly clean, but maybe I should stand by the log flume splash zone for a while and get a free shower. Remus?” Sirius looked up at him hopefully, wadding up his discarded tank top and stuffing it into a plastic bag provided by Lily.</p>
<p>“Um, that’s not a bad idea. Lily, what did you want to do next?” She grinned at him, a familiar calculating expression in her sharp green eyes.</p>
<p>“Well, my cotton candy will dissolve if I get too close to the water-”</p>
<p>“I’ll hang out with you!” James jumped in eagerly, and Remus held back a laugh, barely.</p>
<p>He met Sirius’s eye to find him grinning, most of his color restored, so that it was remarkably easy to forget that he'd been covered in his own technicolor high-velocity vomit not twenty minutes ago.</p>
<p>James led Lily away with promises to touch base in thirty minutes or so, chattering nervously but enthusiastically, and Sirius and Remus were left to walk to the constantly soaked wooden bridge that crossed the path of the log flume, mostly inhabited now by small children daring each other to stand closer.</p>
<p>Remus shifted uneasily in his sandals, stealing quick glances at the man next to him. He tried to remind himself that, hot as he was, he had just vomited all over himself (and me, he thought, trying and failing to be more disgusted). He’s just a human. A human with a digestive system. A human who poops. He had to stifle a bubble of semi-hysterical laughter at the thought. Sirius gave him an odd look and he grinned helplessly.</p>
<p>“So.” He said.</p>
<p>“So…” Sirius replied, seemingly as lost for words as Remus.</p>
<p>“You threw up on me.”</p>
<p>"That I did."</p>
<p>Remus's eyes darted between his own (sunburning) sandaled feet and Sirius's gaze, steady despite a growing blush. Even his ears were red.</p>
<p>"Seems like that's usually a post-date thing... we should catch up with the rest of that."</p>
<p>Sirius had a beautiful smile.</p>
<p>"Yeah, we should."</p>
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